Troublemakers
by Beregond5
Summary: G1. Pre-War. Some Cybertronians show what they will do in life from a very tender age...


When Head On started work earlier that day, he hadn't expected that the sound of his banging and drilling would suddenly get accompanied by shouts and repeated chimes of the call button. On the other hand, perhaps he should have. He had told his boys to go outside and play today. _That _always had its consequences.

The chime of the call-button filled the air again, and the old orange mech understood that there was nothing for it; he had to answer. He wiped his hands on a piece of cloth and then went to open the door, bracing himself for what was to come next.

Head On sighed inwardly and regarded the two Cybertronians on his doorstep.

"Hello, Floodlight," he said stoically to the bright green femme, before nodding in greeting at the other Cybertronian who was with her. "Crosscut." Hmm… Strange, he was sure that that plain blue plating shouldn't have those hues of pink on it. Unless, of course, a grinning red sparkling that was presently looking up at him had something to do with it.

"Do you have any idea what those sparklings of yours did?" Floodlight asked, obviously displeased.

"I do have the feeling I'll find out," Head On answered, his gaze drifting to the yellow sparkling standing next to his twin. The orange mech could see that the youthful face sported a couple of nasty-looking abrasions; nevertheless he decided not to comment on it. "Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, go inside. I need to talk to our neighbours for a few moments."

Sideswipe's grin vanished into thin air. "But, Dad…"

"No buts, kiddo. You'll do as I say, understood?" Head On said, and he pointed to the inner room with his thumb. "Inside."

The twins bowed their heads and complied with their creator's order. They didn't bother looking at the other two adult Cybertronians, even if only to say a polite goodbye. They simply marched in slowly and headed to their room.

Head On watched them go with a neutral expression on his face and then faced Floodlight and Crosscut again. "Alright…. Let's hear it."

"It's simple," Crosscut replied, crossing his arms. "He hanged a can of paint over my door, full aware that _this_," at that, he pointed at the blotches of pink he was covered in, "would happen the moment I'd step through the threshold."

Head On nodded in sympathy and looked at Floodlight. "And who did Sunstreaker fight this time?"

"My eldest," Floodlight answered crossly.

"Over what?"

"Does it matter?" the femme exclaimed. "He tore off a whole piece of Airblast's arm plating!"

Head On sighed tiredly. "If that's the case, I'm willing to pay for any damages the boys have done."

"No, this won't do," Floodlight objected. "You can't just pay every time the two hellions cause trouble!"

"I realise that, and I promise you that I'm going to talk to them," Head On said.

"That's what you said the last time, Head On," Crosscut reminded the orange mech with a huff.

"Then I'll just have to talk to them again," Head On said patiently. "They're sparklings; you can't expect them to get things right the very first time."

"Of course not," Crosscut admitted. "But it's getting tiresome."

"They'll grow out of it," Head On said in a reassuring tone. "You'll see."

"Let's hope so. Frankly, I don't see it happening any time soon," Floodlight commented. "You have to make them realise that _this _isn't helping you. Or your condition, for that matter."

Head On lifted his hand in a gesture of silence. "We won't discuss this now."

"But…" Floodlight started, but Crosscut was faster and stopped her.

"Leave it. He's right; the sparklings might overhear," he said, and then he bowed his head slightly in Head On's direction in respect. "Thank you for your time."

"You're quite welcome. Have a good day." Head On replied courteously and, with a brief wave of goodbye, he closed the door.

* * *

Floodlight sighed heavily before regarding Crosscut. "You know I'm right," she said.

"I know," Crosscut replied. "But I also know that Head On is one of the most stubborn mechs I've ever met." He turned on his heel and started walking back home. With any luck, he would be able to wash off that ridiculous pink colour off his plating.

"But those sparklings will be the death of him!" Floodlight said, following the blue mech close behind. "His spark is already weak enough as it is!"

"Head On doesn't want to see that. There's nothing you or I can do, Floodlight," Crosscut pointed out. "Just let it go."

Floodlight opened her mouth to speak but, in the end, she decided against it and just accepted her defeat. She walked away with Crosscut in silence, unaware that two pairs of optics watched the two of them from the window. And, of course, Floodlight never realised that the two sparklings had heard _everything_.

* * *

Head On sat at the table, drumming his fingers on the smooth surface for many long moments. He hated to admit it, but both Floodlight and Crosscut were right. This couldn't carry on forever. Though Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were sparklings, they had to start learning that every action of theirs also had a consequence. After all, Head On wouldn't always be there to get them out of trouble.

His hand rested on his chestplate, where his spark still pulsed. He wanted to believe that he would be able to stay alive long enough to watch his sparklings become the mechs they were meant to be, but a part of him was also aware that that was probably wishful thinking. He could recall more than enough times when the by now familiar pang coursed through him, reminding him that he wasn't built to last.

At times like these, Head On couldn't help but feel bitter about the whole situation. Primus, there were times that he wondered what had come over him and created those sparklings when they were such a handful.

He already knew the answer to that, though. That was why he could never be angry with the Twins, not really anyway.

With that settled in his mind, Head On decided it was high time he talked to his sons. He got back on his feet and headed to the sparklings' room, where he knew Sideswipe would be waiting with an innocent smile on his lip-components and Sunstreaker with a very deep scowl. Though they were twins, they were as different as night and day. The one preferred to talk or charm his way out of a situation, while the other was ready to fight with everything he got. Either way, it didn't matter; their old man was prepared.

What Head On didn't expect, however, was to see the two sparklings huddled together in the room, sobbing quietly and tears streaking down their round face-plates. And the orange mech was plain shocked when Sunstreaker practically flung himself on his creator, hugging him with a lot more strength than Head On had given him credit for – an action that was mirrored to a tee by Sideswipe in the very next moment.

"Hey, none of that," Head On said softly. He even caught himself caressing the top of their heads in a soothing motion, although he was never really good at that sort of thing; he was simply too gruff. "Come on, Sunstreaker, even you? What could be so bad?"

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe sobbed harder, and they would have tightened their grip on their creator even more if that were possible.

"We're sorry," the yellow sparkling managed to say amid hitching breaths.

"We didn't mean to hurt you," the red one said, more tears flooding down his face. "Please, don't die."

Head On tensed and looked at both boys with wide optics. "What gave you that idea? Out with it!"

Sideswipe tried to answer, but the only thing out that came out of his lip components was a new series of sobs. In the end, it was Sunstreaker who answered, albeit with great effort.

"We heard Floodlight and Crosscut talking. They said that you have a weak spark and that we'll be the death of you."

"Is it true?" Sideswipe asked, optics glistening. "Are we killing you?"

So that was that did it. Head On really wanted to find the two Cybertronians and give them a lecture on how to keep their mouths shut, but it was too late now. For the time being, he had to stay with the boys. They needed to understand, and that was going to be very hard.

"Yes, it's true… for the most part," Head On said. "My laser core isn't working right, and that makes my spark weak. I tire more easily than you two and the other Cybertronians, and I can't carry much weight. I'd only damage myself."

"But can't you fix it?" Sunstreaker asked. He wasn't sobbing anymore, but he still clung on his creator.

"No," Head On answered. "No one can. The bad wiring is too close to the spark. If a laser scalpel touches it, it might destroy the spark and kill me."

"So… what does that mean?" Sideswipe asked, blinking.

"That I _will_ die, there's no question about it," Head On said truthfully. "Just not yet."

"Then we _are _killing you," Sunstreaker exclaimed.

"No, that's where Floodlight and Crosscut have it wrong," Head On replied with a smile. "The medics had also said that, normally, I would have died a long time ago. Yet I'm here, as you can see. Do you know why that is?"

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe shook their heads, staring at their creator.

"Because you two give me a reason to be alive," Head On said.

"Really?" Sideswipe asked.

Head On hummed his affirmation.

"Even if we anger you?" Sunstreaker asked dubiously.

"Even then," Head On answered. "I can think about something else rather than if I'm gonna make it through one more day. Now _that _would have really killed me. Do you understand?"

The sparklings nodded, their features brightening.

"Good. Now clean that mess that you call your room and come for your energon ration," Head On ordered, giving them a small encouraging pat on their shoulders. "I'll have it ready in a breem."

The sparklings turned on their heels and started tidying up eagerly. Head On watched them for a couple of breems more as the twins worked, even arguing where a toy or other should go, and then headed for the energon dispenser. The moment that he pressed a couple of buttons, however, the dispenser made a loud groaning sound and spewed out rich black oil instead of the usual fluorescent energon.

Head On huffed, knowing perfectly well who behind this. Nevertheless, he didn't call Sideswipe to come and explain himself. He figured he could leave the matter be just this once. So, he went for Sunstreaker's favourite method of setting the dispenser straight and, one strong kick later, the dispenser was pouring proper energon again. As he started warming two cubes for his sparklings, he smiled and assured himself that the twins would soon get over that phase of theirs. After all, they couldn't keep pranking or punching everything in sight forever.

Right?

**The End**

_A/n: I think you guys already know the answer to that. ;)_


End file.
